Flush switch.



w. R. PETTIS;

FLUSH SWITCH.

(Application filed Jan. 23, 1899.) (No Model.)

Patented Oct. 24, I899.

Z ill-3T1 gllllml lflzgi Q $l 1 W2 7 H g 5;)? i fi S 1/1 i if: -99- 1 I!!!" "I UNrTED STATES Prrrnnrv XVALTER R. PETTIS, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

FLUSH SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,587, dated October 24;, 1899.

Application filed January 23, 1899. Serial No. 703,043. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VALTER R. PETTIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Flush Switches, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

The present invention relates to that class of electrical switches which is mounted in a cast-iron box set flush with the surface of the wall in an apartment, the circuit-tenninals being extended behind the plaster into such wall-box for connection with the switch-contacts.

Heretofore it has been common to construct the switch with a porcelain or other insulating base and cover, so that when fitted within the wall-box the parts employed to break the circuit might be wholly inclosed by the insulation, and such base and cover have us ually been connected together for insertion in and removal from the wall-box simultaneously. In such constructions the circuitwires within the wall-box have to be drawn into or through the switch base or body and secured therein when the switch is attached to the wall-box, and such a mode of connecting the terminals with the switch-base prevents the convenient removal of the switch in its entirety for inspection and repairs. In fact, the switch having the circuit-wires secured to or upon its base cannot be removed from the wall-box without first detaching such terminal connections, and the bending of the terminal wires and the operating of the screws which are commonly used to clamp the wires result in injury both to the wires and the screws if such detachment be often repeated.

It is the object of the present invention to make the switch entirely detachable from the wall-box without operating any screws or bending any wires to release the electrical connections and at the same time to wholly inclose within the insulating-cover all of the parts which are employed to make electrical contacts. This object is attained by securing the insulating-cover of the switch within the wall-box in a suitable position to hold the switch flush with the surface of the boX or wall and providing the cover and switch-base with frictional contact-springs, the springs in the cover being connected with the circuitterminals from the interior of the wall-box.

The switch-base is provided with a suitable fastening for securing it to the cover or wallbox, and when thus secured the springs in the cover convey the current to the springs upon the base and to themoving parts of the switch.

The invention is applicable to any flush switch which is inserted in a wall-box, and the switch illustrated herein is the same as that shown and described in Letters Patent No. 588,428, granted August 17, 1897, to Louis Heck, excepting the connection of the circuit-terminals to springs within the coverinstead of springs within the base of the switch, as shown in Hecks patent.

The presentinvention will be understood by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a cross-section on line 1 1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan of the wall-box with the cover secured therein and the switch and its base removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the cover, the upper half being shown in section on line 3 3 in Fig. 2 and the lower half in section on line a: so in Fig. 2. Fig. at is a longitudinal vertical section on line a 4 in Fig. 2.

W designates the wall-box, having inlets W for the circuit-wires. The cover \V of the box is provided with a seat X, upon which the switch-cover F is secured by feet F The feet are offset, as shown in Fig. 3, and their outer ends fitted to the seat X upon the wallbox, thus holding the cover F a suitable distance within the wall-box to admit the switchbase A between the cover and the guardplate D.

The switch-base A is shown, as in the patented switch referred to,with a metallic bridge or cross-bar 13, secured to the outer side of the box by screws Z and provided with a post C, which extends inside the cover and carries the mechanism of the switch. The bridge B and the guard-plateD are secured to the outer portions of the feet F by screws D, and the construction is such that the removal of these screws permits the detachment of the base (with all the switch mechanism) from the cover F without disturbing the latter. Fig. 2 shows the cover sustained within the wallbox and the circuit-terminals Z) brought within the cover and connected with contact-plates a, which convey the current to the switcheontaets when the switch is inserted within the cover. The lower end of Fig. 3, as well as Fig. 2, shows the cover formed upon opposite sides with ledges J, upon which the feet of the plates a are secured by caps c, which are held by screws a. The terminals 1) are clamped upon the cap by screws 1) and are extended into the cover through holes Z2 The mechanism of the switch comprises the contact-lever G, pivoted by screw H, a manual lever g g, and push-buttons E E, which are linked to the arms 1 of the manual lever by loops 7i. The arm 9 of the manual lever is fitted to a notched dog 1, controlled by a spring S. The contact-lever G is attached to a plate I, which is actuated by the dog I toward the close of its stroke. The push-bun tons actuate the switch-contacts in the usual manner.

Two springs c are secured to the base A by screws d and form, with the contact-lever G, the switch-contacts. The contactlever G closes the circuit when pressed between the springs c in its lowest position, (shown in Fig. i-;) but when in its reverse position it separates the switclrcontacts and opens the circuit. The springs c are connected at their bases with auxiliary leaves d, which lie upon the outer side of such springs, and the leaves a lie upon the inner opposite sides of the cover F, so as to contact automatically with the leaves (1, as shown in 1, when the switch is inserted within the cover. The plates a are represented as projecting a little from the inner wall of the cover, thus making them elastic as well as the leaves d; but it is not necessary to make both of such ine tallic parts elastic. The plates a may be arranged to press directly upon the outer sides of the springs c and the use of the leaves (6 thus be obviated; but the leaves (1 prevent the pressure of the plates a from crowding the switch-springs c inward, and thus interfering with the free operation of the switchlever G.

The essential feature of the present invention is represented in Fig. 1, where the detachable connection of the switeh-sprin gs with the circuit-terminals is clearly shown, and such detachable connection may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The insulating-cover F serves as a means of holding the plates a in electrical connection with the circuit-terminals Z), so that the switch mechanism, which is attached to the base A, may be removed from the wallbox or the cover without disturbing the connection of the terminals 1) with the electrical contacts a.

The construction of the switch itself is wholly the switch-contacts when the switch mechanism is inserted removably within the cover F.

The connection of the circuit-terminals to contacts within the switch-cover enables the switch-cover to be secured in the box and the terminals connected to such contacts during the construction of the building,when it would not be desirable to insert the switch or its guard-plate D, as the same would be injured by the dirt and dust which are produced in building operations.

By my construction the wall-box is prepared to receive the switch at any time when the building is completed by the mere application of the base A and the switch mechanism to the cover and the securing of the same in position with the guard-plate D by the screws a. The removal of such screws suffices at any time to detach the switch for inspection or repairs withoutdisturbingthe circuit-terminals. My construction thus forms a mounting for a flush switch by which the switch is provided with an insulating-cover within the wall-box, and the switching device is fitted removably to the cover to be detached whenever desired.

The insulating-cover maybe secured within the walbbox in any convenient manner; but the offset feet F extend the supporting device for the cover to the outer side of the seat X, where the feet can be readily detached when it is necessary to remove the cover from the wall-box.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is 1. The combination, with a wall-box, of a switch-cover of insulating material having feet foratt-achiug it to the wall-box, and metal plates within its opposite sides for connection to the circuit-terminals, a base of insulating material having the switch mounted thereon and provided with a metallic bridge for attaching it to the wall-box, and having leaves upon opposite sides connected with the opposite parts of the switch, and adapted for contact with the plates in the cover, and a guardplate for covering the switch-base, the whole arranged and operated substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination, with a wall-box, of the switch-cover F having the offset feet F applied to the outer side of the wall-box and holding the cover within the same, the base A carrying the switch mechanism provided with the bridge 13, and means for securing such bridge to the feet F and contact-springs upon opposite sides of the box and cover to form a detachable connection, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER R. PETTIS.

'Vitnesses:

THOMAS S. CRANE, Einwann 1 KINSEY. 

